Travel Pass Requested by Tarique Rahman for Bangladesh Return

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has formally applied for a travel pass to return to Bangladesh on 25 December. The application was submitted at the Bangladesh High Commission in London, according to sources in the United Kingdom on Thursday evening.

Tarique, who has been living in political exile in London for several years, no longer holds a valid Bangladeshi passport following the expiration of his previous travel documents. Although he had the opportunity to renew his passport after last year’s political upheaval, he did not do so. Under current circumstances, a one-time travel pass is necessary for him to re-enter the country as a Bangladeshi citizen.

Responding to questions from journalists during an event in Dhaka last month, Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Tawhid Hossain stated that there are no restrictions preventing Tarique Rahman from returning. He explained that a travel pass could be issued within a single day:

“The rule is that when someone does not hold a valid passport or it has expired, a one-time travel pass can be provided for the purpose of entering the country once. It takes just one day. If he applies today, he could board a flight tomorrow or the day after without any difficulty. We are able to facilitate this.”

According to BNP sources, Tarique Rahman will return to Bangladesh on 25 December after more than 17 years abroad. He is scheduled to arrive at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:55 am on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

To commemorate his return, the BNP has planned special arrangements. Permanent Committee member Salahuddin Ahmad stated:

“We want his historic return to surpass any precedent set in the last 55 years of the country’s history, and we want to make it an occasion that will remain memorable even for the next 55 years. All our preparations are aimed at achieving that.”

Tarique Rahman’s return also has a personal dimension, as his mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since 23 November. Upon his arrival, Tarique is expected to visit her directly, and arrangements are being made near the airport and hospital to formally welcome him.

The BNP has emphasised that Tarique’s homecoming is both a political and symbolic event, signalling his re-engagement in Bangladesh’s national political landscape after nearly two decades of exile.

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